by Amy Gillentine Published: March 13,2010
Tags: Health Care
Colorado might soon join 10 other states in creating its own health care data base — a compilation of all health care claims and information throughout the state. House Bill 1330 will create the database as part of Gov. Bill Ritter’s health care initiative package. Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, Tennessee, Vermont, New Hampshire, Florida, Oregon, Utah and Arizona [...] [...]
by Amy Gillentine Published: March 5,2010
Tags:
A Colorado Springs company is applying for Food and Drug Administration approval of a cannabis-based drug to treat post traumatic stress disorder. Cannabis Science is at the beginning of the application process to perform clinical trials of its drug. “Veterans reported cannabis helped nearly all the symptoms of PTSD, with special emphasis on three important components: sleep [...] [...]
by Amy Gillentine Published: February 26,2010
Tags: diabetes, Healthgrades, Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, weight gain
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services was named one of the 50 top hospitals by HealthGrades, a Boulder-based independent health care ratings organization. HealthGrades analyzes patient outcomes at all 5,000 of the nation’s nonfederal hospitals, using data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This marks the third year in a row the hospital has received the award, [...] [...]
by Amy Gillentine Published: February 19,2010
Tags: Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, gender, General Assembly, House Bill 1022
Bill seeks to end gender as a factor for insurance cost A piece of Colorado legislation seeks to even the health insurance playing field for women. Most insurance companies charge more for women in the individual market. Women pay between 2 percent and 59 percent more than men who are the same age, from the same geographic [...] [...]
by Amy Gillentine Published: February 19,2010
Colorado’s children get a D+ for health and wellness. The D+ this year is a drop from last year’s barely passing grade of C- and shows that the biggest declines in health statewide are in children’s health. From third place just a few years ago, the state now ranks 23. In addition, Colorado remains in the bottom half [...] [...]
by Amy Gillentine Published: February 12,2010
Tags: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, government spending, Health Care, private insurance
Republicans warned during most of 2009’s debate about health care reform that it if passed, the government would take over health care. And now, the government’s own actuaries say that what’s going to happen anyway. In two years, the government’s spending on health care will surpass private spending for the first time. That trend is expected to [...] [...]
by Amy Gillentine Published: February 5,2010
Tags:
In many areas of Colorado, it is very easy to find sweet and salty snacks and sodas — but difficult to find fresh fruits and vegetables. These “food deserts” are the leading cause of obesity in the state’s poor and rural neighborhoods. The Colorado Health Foundation points out the disparity of finding healthy food across the state [...] [...]
by Amy Gillentine Published: January 29,2010
Tags: Amy Gillentine, Health Care, health track
Editor’s note: Reporter Amy Gillentine is participating in a six-month preventive medicine program. She will chronicle her experience here and online in a special Health Track blog at CSBJ.com. As promised, I took the first step in getting healthier this weekend. I went to the first screening of the Healthy Neighborhood collaboration between the Old North End [...] [...]
by Amy Gillentine Published: January 22,2010
Tags: health track, healthier, resolutions
Editor’s note: Today is the first part of what will be a recurring feature in the health care column. Reporter Amy Gillentine is participating in a six-month preventive medicine program. She will chronicle her experience here and online in a special blog at CSBJ.com. After years of unfulfilled resolutions made recklessly during New Year’s Day — [...] [...]
by Amy Gillentine Published: January 22,2010
Tags: Attorney General, Department of Public Health and Safety, General Assembly, medical marijuana, Sensible Colorado
‘Patient’ battle to be fought in legislature Bills controlling the sale and use of medical marijuana were filed earlier this week, but the debate remains surprisingly calm. Sen. Chris Romer (D-Denver) and Rep. Tom Massey (R-Chaffee) are working on bills that both sides — state officials and medical marijuana advocates — say address most of the issues. There is one sticking point: advocates [...] [...]
